Starlit Romantics
by viiisenya
Summary: collection of Shallura one-shots based on songs i've been listening to recently. set post-season 2. will include AUs in the future. will be updated irregularly. rated T for future use of profanity and other things that may occur. romance/hurt/comfort/friendship
1. Powerless

AN: hello again. i obviously have a knack for starting things despite the fact that i haven't finished anything else. i've recently started reward voltron and just like the first time around, i am in love. so i decided to write about shiro and allura because i love them. as the poorly written summary states, these will all be based on songs i've been listening to. mind you, not all of the song may influence the whole drabble, just parts of it. i also obviously don't own voltron. so, please enjoy this hastily written drabble and i'll try to crank another one out soon.

 _"Powerless" by Waterparks_

* * *

Shiro thought about lots of things when he was allowed any quiet time to think – the war, Allura, Zarkon's impending doom on the universe, how and when and _if_ they could ever stop him, Allura, going home to see his mother, _Allura, Allura, Allura…_

Of those things, however, Allura was what he thought of the most. It shamed him sometimes, because there were so many other things that he needed to think of like war plans and keeping his team safe and what he would do if Zarkon got his hands on her ever again. But he couldn't help himself most of the time, feeling like he was thrown back into high school crushing harder and harder on the prettiest girl at school. Her image often flooded his mind and a newfound sense of calm fell onto him that he hadn't felt in what seemed like an eternity.

She was starlight made flesh and he always thought that if moonlight had a sound, it would be her voice. He also always wondered if she thought anything of him; besides being the closest thing she had to a war general. He'd stare at her in awe a lot whenever they made time to eat dinner together; as a team, as a family. He'd sneak glances between bites of Altean mush and divert his eyes whenever she'd look at him. His heart would sink further and further into the depths of adoration and love whenever she'd laugh at Hunk's jokes and he often times caught himself chewing the inside of his lip rather than the food he was supposed to be eating.

He couldn't understand how she could make him feel so powerful yet powerless at the same time. And it wasn't the sort of powerless that he felt in Haggar's captivity when the druids ceaselessly experimented on him. It was the sort of powerless that could bring him to his knees in front of this goddess that decided to grace them with her presence. He often wondered if he could consider himself lucky to have met Allura, despite their given circumstances.

There were times in between battles and flying through the endless void that Shiro would walk aimlessly throughout the castle when everybody, even the lions, were asleep. The days and night spent in Zarkon's prison haunted him to the point where he thought if he slept now, all of it would be a dream; escaping, becoming the force that could defeat this evil, meeting Allura. And it wasn't uncommon that he would find the Princess roaming the halls herself, a shawl pulled tightly over her shoulders. She'd smile at him and he'd smile at her, and they'd end up on a balcony encased in thick glass that jutted out from the ship. She'd watch the stars as they zipped past them and he'd watch her, eyes twinkling like they knew they belonged among the shooting stars.

And those were the moments he cherished most; the times he and Allura had to themselves to recount their homes. Hers lost, and his misplaced.

"Oh, I wish I could show you the fields and mountains we had on Altea," she said wistfully one night, "they looked as if they would never end. And the flowers. They were absolutely divine."

He looked at her carefully, a soft smile on his lips as she stared off into space like she always did whenever they were alone.

"We have similar things on Earth," he told her quietly. "They might not be as amazing as they were on Altea, but from what you've been telling me, they sound close enough."

She beamed at him when he told her that and he chewed the inside of his lip to keep from gawking at her.

"Lance often talks of the seas Earth has and Pidge speaks fondly of the forests," Allura said to him, eyes looking upward as she recalled what the kids had told her. Shiro nodded.

"They're amazing," he paused and looked at her, "and maybe—maybe when this is all over, I'll take you to see them all."

He realized, more oft than not, that once the war would be over, Allura would have to rebuild her kingdom from the ground up. She would have to find a new planet somewhere far, far, far away from Earth to land her ship and craft a council of non-Alteans to help her rule as the queen she was meant to be. And for all the times he thought of that, he'd push those thoughts away because he couldn't bear to think of what life would be like without Allura in it. And that was him being selfish again; trying to take this queen away from her duties and have her focus on him, but like always, he couldn't help himself. He could have his daydreams as long as they didn't harm anybody.

But she didn't remind him that she needed to be queen after the war's end; instead, she smiled a wide, toothy smile and looked at him hopefully.

"Will you?" She asked and he wondered if she felt the same way about him. He wondered if he'd ever gain the courage to tell her what he really felt.

"Of course, Princess," he promised and wondered if that would be an appropriate time to tell her that he was in love with her. He caught his tongue, then, and figured there would be a different time. A better time to do it.

Of the things Shiro thought of and realized, the one that escaped him was losing track of the time. Of course, the possibility of dying in action sat idly in his mind like a huge boulder blocking the entrance of his peace of mind, but he never put two and two together. He never thought of the possibility of being lost before letting Allura know how he felt about her and finding out what she thought of him (although he had a feeling he already knew what it was); he was always hopeful that the time would arrive before anything befell him. A selfish, and stupidly hopeful thought it was. It clouded his judgement of the way time passed during war.

And so that was where his thoughts laid as he was sucked into some sort of black tunnel. He could see nothing but the princess and he could hear her voice echoing, calling his name. He didn't know where he was going or where he'd end up, or what had happened once Zarkon's battle armor had blown up right in front of them.

It was an eternal darkness that engulfed him and he couldn't tell if he was floating or laying still. He couldn't move any of his limbs, leaving him alone with his thoughts. The thoughts that drifted towards Allura and how he wouldn't get to tell her that he loved her now. He wasn't sure if he would be stuck here forever or if there was even a way to pull him out of it. He didn't know.

Sometimes images faded in and out before his eyes. He wasn't sure if he was imagining them or if whatever put him in this place wanted him to see them. They were images of his team, a ragtag group of teenagers, sleepless and weary. Pidge working incessantly at the command board and in her room, looking for him like she did with her father and brother. He could see Hunk carrying things in and out of Pidge's room, his face pale and contorted with fear. And there was Keith who was in his room, never leaving his room, and barreling punches into the wall until his knuckles were bloodied. Lance stood beside Coran who tried everything he could to find him and when the old advisor grew tired, Lance himself spent the endless nights searching and searching.

Shiro felt pained and helpless, watching as they did everything they could to find him. And he wondered again if he could be found. And he wondered where Allura was during all of this. He wondered if she missed him. He knew that she must've missed him the way a friend misses a friend who moves away; the uncertainty of them returning unknown. But he couldn't help but wonder if she missed him the way he missed her. If she missed their late night talks and the way their skin felt when they brushed each other in passing. He wondered if she missed his voice like he missed hers. He wondered and wondered and wondered until…

There was a soft crying that caught his attention and he found the image of the Black Lion in front of him. She sat upright in her hangar, a few lights illuminated. Shiro didn't know the lions could cry. And he was suddenly sucked into the cockpit of his lion, the dim cabin seemingly empty. It wasn't until the view spun around to show him a figured curled up in the command seat.

Her silvery hair fell all around her as she clutched the bayard close to her chest and cried. Her face was wet with tears and it looked as if she hadn't been sleeping. Shiro suddenly couldn't tell how much time had passed. And he couldn't tell what was real anymore, or even if any of this was real. But it was real enough for him.

The sight of his friends working endlessly to find him and being stuck in this limbo and _Allura's tears._

It was bittersweet, the way he found out that Allura did miss him the way he missed her and it made his heart swell with happiness but also deflate in sadness.

"Allura" he whispered, not caring if she could hear him or not. "I'll come back to you."


	2. Lose It

AN: hello again. Be prepared, it is a long one. Just to preface, it is a thief/mobster/hitman AU all rolled into one; you'll find out more as you read it but I don't know very much about thief/mobster/hitman life so please keep that in mind while reading lol. I do highly suggest listening to the song before you read this one because it'll really set the mood for the one-shot over all. Another thing to keep in mind is that Allura and Shiro do not meet until a bit later, so please be patient. I had fun writing this even though it turned more into a one-shot of exploring hitman/thief Shiro's life, but regardless, I hope you all enjoy it.

" _Lose It" by Oh Wonder_

* * *

" _Who_ put in this hit?" Shiro asked, unsure if he heard correctly the first time. He had to pause at the side of a building to make sure it wasn't the hustle and bustle of downtown clouding his hearing.

"Alfor Altea, and it's not a hit," Pidge said on the other end. "He's asking us to steal something for him and take someone out if needed."

Shiro rubbed his left temple and looked around the busy streets before ducking into a quiet alleyway.

"Alfor Altea… the CEO of Voltron Inc.? What's his business asking us to steal something? We're not even that great of thieves," Shiro muttered, looking at the watch attached to the wrist of his prosthetic arm. He could list a few better thieves off the top of his head watching as a few rats scurried past his feet with the finds of the day.

"I don't know. He didn't really say much. He was kind of in a rush and told me he'd call back in an hour so I called you wondering if we could get the gang together to talk about it," Pidge said. Shiro pursed his lips and nodded more to himself than anything.

"Yeah. I'll call Keith if you can get Lance and Hunk," Shiro said. Pidge scoffed on the other end and he could hear the rhythmic tap of a keyboard.

"If anything, Lance is probably with Keith right now," she said in a deadpan tone. "We're gonna meet at the warehouse?"

"Yeah," Shiro confirmed. "See you in fifteen."

…

"Who?!" Lance bellowed as soon as Pidge revealed the news to the three boys that sat across from her. The five of them were seated in the middle of a makeshift base of operations on the outskirts of town. They called it the warehouse for obvious reasons; it was an abandoned warehouse that was scheduled for demolition, but the crew never showed. Pidge had refurbished an old generator to provide them electricity and managed to secure a strong enough wi-fi connection to do her handiwork. Lance and Hunk even dedicated a whole day to finding tables and chairs from a thrift store to make it more comfortable.

She grimaced at Lance's loud voice and then frowned.

"You heard right," Pidge said. "He even called from a private phone number. I can't trace where it came from."

She spun her laptop around to show them the map of the city that lacked a specific location though _Unknown Caller_ was the last call made to the special number Shiro had for this business. Lance rubbed his chin with Hunk beside him pursing his lips, the both of them analyzing the blue map as if there was a hidden message. Keith rolled his eyes.

"Has he called back yet?" Shiro asked, standing beside Pidge with crossed arms.

"Nope. If he's staying true to his promise, he'll call in ten minutes," she responded.

Shiro nodded and looked around at his small group. It was often argued that his occupation was not a good one; going out and killing for a bag of money provided to him by people who couldn't do it themselves. Sometimes, it was stealing for others he did, in addition to the killing. They argued that it should be left to the police. But, Shiro disagreed. These were bad people being killed and lost family treasures being returned; matters the police stopped taking into their hands years ago. It was arguable, but he didn't spend his time arguing with others or himself over the morals of his job. As long as it put money in the bank and kept the streets a little safer, he did it.

He didn't do it by himself though; not anymore. As the years went on and he became a little less rigid, he allowed people to get close to him. And by people, it was more like a bunch of teenagers that started with Keith, the hothead. Shiro knew Keith the longest, having caught him getting into fights with the neighborhood bullies that tried to affiliate themselves with the gangs that dotted the city. Shiro saw potential in the high school dropout and took him under his wing. He taught Keith how to fight properly and keep his head cool instead of lashing out impulsively. Most jobs, though, Keith drove the getaway car being the best damn driver Shiro has ever seen in his life. The boy could navigate his way through all sorts of highway traffic having just looked at the map, it was almost magic.

And just shy of actual magic was Pidge. Shiro still felt apprehensive about letting Pidge work with them because she was still young but he couldn't deny it was a hell of a lot easier with her around. She was a hacker who also doubled as a receptionist, if that was an appropriate term to use in their business. She had gotten them past all sorts of security systems and guided them through buildings via blueprints instead of having Shiro find them out from an outside source. She often took calls for Shiro too, negotiating payments and figuring out the perfect timeframe to execute their plans better than he did. In her spare time, she repurposed old equipment to work better and be more concealable; things like mics and ear pieces. Shiro sometimes wondered if it would ever get to the point that her father found out. He could remember the day he met her for the first time while he was working with her father and brother; he knew her as Katie then. This was when he worked full time at the body shop fixing cars. Nowadays, Shiro fixed cars for fun during the day and Pidge helped him take out hits for fun at night.

What Pidge brought to the table was not limited to her computer and hacking skills, though, and extended to Lance and Hunk. There were some days the constant complaining that erupted from Hunk and the incessant bickering between Lance and Keith was enough for Shiro to call it quits, but it was strongly outweighed by what those two boys could do. Lance was an excellent marksman who could snipe a bird right out of the sky three buildings over and not even bat an eye. It scared Shiro sometimes how accurate he was but it had saved him the few times things didn't go as planned. And those were the times he was especially thankful for Hunk. The boy could lift anything he put his mind to and stop even grown men from escaping just by standing in the door way. Shiro remembered the day he was pinned down by a man twice his size and was getting the shit beaten out of him until Hunk came charging by, knocking that man across the room. That was a good day for all of them despite the bloody eye and bruised face Shiro took home.

"He's calling!" Pidge exclaimed, snapping Shiro out of his memories suddenly.

"Put him on speaker," Shiro commanded. "You already know how to handle this." She nodded and affixed a headset around her ear. She took in a deep breath and tapped a key on her laptop.

"Hello?"

"This is Alfor," a man answered. His voice was a low grumble, enhanced even more so by the static of the speaker. "There's going to be a gala this Saturday night open to the public at the Black Paladin. The host will be importing a very valuable item and I need it back before anybody else steals it."

He stopped for a moment and lowered his voice so much so that Lance, Keith, and Hunk had to lean forward to hear him better. "I would prefer that nobody dies, but if it comes to it, don't hesitate."

"I want the item Monday afternoon. Send it in a plain, white box to the address of 1980 Ferguson Street Southeast," Alfor continued in this hushed tone as Pidge entered the address into her laptop. The map zoomed in to a building that was in line with seven others that ran along Ferguson Street.

Shiro furrowed his brow and shot Pidge a look as she nodded; they were both thinking the same thing.

"How are we supposed to know what this thing looks like? And who's hosting the gala? And who else is after this thing?" Pidge asked. It was silent on the other end for a moment.

"You'll know when you see it. It will undoubtedly be guarded heavily. There is only one other person I know of who will be after this item," he said. Pidge frowned.

"It is of no concern to you who is hosting the gala. The less you know, the simpler it'll be," Alfor said in a stern voice. Pidge's frown deepened as she raised an eyebrow at Shiro. That raised many questions for Shiro but by the sound of his voice, Alfor was not going to disclose anything else. Shiro mouthed 'price' to Pidge and she responded with a curt nod.

"All right. What's your price?"

"Two million," Alfor said without hesitation. Lance nearly fell out of his chair and even Keith was wide eyed. Shiro could hear Hunk whisper 'holy shit' behind him. Pidge sat at her computer slack-jawed and slowly turned her attention to her laptop screen as if Alfor was sitting across from her. Two million would be the most anybody has offered them for a job ever.

"Two million?" Pidge repeated in a breathy voice. Alfor grunted as if he was annoyed.

"I'll have it in cash at the address I provided for you," he said. "Do we have a deal?"

Pidge looked at Shiro for an answer and he chewed the inside of his lip. He looked around at the table to Lance, Keith, and Hunk. He and Keith shared a long look and Shiro knew immediately what he was thinking. He shrugged before looking back at Pidge and nodded, giving her the OK to form the deal. She let out the breath she was holding in.

"We've got a deal."

"Good. I hope I won't be disappointed with this service," he said and with that, he hung up.

"Two million, you guys. This is insane!" Hunk exclaimed and high-fived Lance who jumped into the air with excitement. Keith stayed seated, however, arms crossed tightly against his chest.

"Don't we think it's kind of weird he withheld so much information though? Like, how are we even supposed to know what this thing looks like?" Keith asked. He did have a point.

"Uh, he said it'd be heavily guarded, ya idiot. Weren't you listening?" Lance said accusingly. Keith gritted his teeth.

"All I'm saying is it sounds real fishy. Asking a hitman-thief to go straight into a gala that's open to the public to steal something? And he's willing to drop two million on this thing? It just doesn't sound right to me," Keith said with a shrug. Lance huffed and was going to respond but was beat by Shiro.

"Keith is right; it is a little off."

"Then why did you agree to taking this job?" Hunk piped up.

"Because we can do our own research despite what Alfor wants. And money is money. As long as we fill in the details ourselves, the job should be easily done," Shiro continued. "Pidge, who's hosting the gala?"

"Already on it," Pidge responded immediately as she tapped away at her laptop. "It's some guy named Zarkon."

Lance made a noise of disgust and wrinkled his nose. "Ugh, that guy? He's the worst," he said, rolling his eyes.

Shiro nodded and thought bitterly of the havoc Zarkon wreaked on the city. He was a mob boss disguised as a businessman around here, and only so because of the great lawyers he paid under the table to hide his dirty work. He kept the front of businessman very well by spending his time at his factories while his second-in-command, a witchy woman named Haggar, did the street work right under the authority's noses. Or sometimes right in front of them but those were the guys who didn't care enough. Shiro didn't see his work as noble but when it came to killing guys like the ones who worked for Zarkon, the man who kidnapped women and children to put into underground slave labor, it made him sleep a little better at night.

"Weren't he and Alfor business partners like twenty years ago or something?" Keith said, too young to be certain. Hunk shrugged, unsure as the rest of teenagers. Shiro could recall the furious debates between Zarkon and Alfor Altea on the news when he was just a young boy. His mother tsk-ed and predicted the city's downfall at the separation of these two great minds. She had never been more right.

"About twenty-one years ago," Pidge said, reading from her illuminated laptop screen, "Alfor and Zarkon had a falling out after Voltron Inc. took off. A year later, Zarkon went on and found The Galra Company and they've been competitors ever since."

"That sounds about right," Shiro confirmed, nodding.

"Zarkon should've just put it to rest," Lance said harshly. "Everyone knows he's a horrible person who used dirty, mob money to start his business and all he does is prey on the poor and underprivileged."

"Yeah," Pidge agreed. "But no one's brave enough to stand up to him with all the money and influence he has on the police and the DA now. Even Alfor doesn't have much hold against him anymore with how he's doing in the stock market; he's losing money."

"And yet here he is, willing to drop two mil on some mysterious object he couldn't even describe to us," Keith interjected, firmly pressing his point.

"It could be business related," Hunk suggested and Lance nodded furiously, agreeing.

"Okay, but why get Shiro involved? Shiro isn't the law. If it was something business related, why not take Zarkon to court?" Keith shot back. Lance huffed and rolled his eyes so far back into his head, Shiro worried they might not have come back.

"Pidge literally just said he's got the police and DA bought out. Maybe if you spent more time listening instead of brooding—" Lance was cut off by Shiro's assertive voice.

"All right, that's enough," The debate between Keith and Lance ended as they both shifted their attention to him, albeit begrudgingly.

"Alfor's got his own secrets. We'll find out the details we need, get the thing, and get paid. I don't have time to get involved in the city's politics even if Zarkon is probably the worst person in the world," he said in a calm tone, looking amongst them. "Pidge, I want you to find out as much as you can about what this thing could possibly be and find blueprints of the Black Paladin. Call me as soon as you find anything out," he directed.

Pidge nodded. "Will do," she responded before going straight to work.

"We'll meet back here tomorrow at six to discuss our game plan," Shiro said as he looked at all four of them. "Come hungry; I'll bring pizza."

He smiled as the four teens hooted with approval and wondered if this job would be as easy as he suspected.

…

"Yeah?" Shiro answered at four-thirty the following day, balancing his cellphone between his ear and shoulder. In his prosthetic, he held a cloth as he continued to clean one of his five guns that were laid out in front of him. It was an old and useful habit that always arose the day before a big job.

"I'm almost positive I found out what this thing could be," Pidge said. Shiro smiled, pleased with Pidge's work despite not yet hearing of what she had to tell him. He put the pistol down onto the table and wiped his hand on his pant leg. He grasped the phone in one hand.

"All right, what'd you find out?" He asked encouragingly.

"So, I did some research on Alfor Altea and how his business came to be. It's pretty common knowledge that the Altea's, an old family once heavily involved and influential in politics overseas, were _stupid_ , crazy rich," Pidge prefaced. Shiro hummed to indicate that he was listening and prompted her to continue.

"And so he brought all of this wealth with him when he immigrated here, almost a year before this huge civil war broke out in his home country. He was the only Altea to leave and all of his known relatives either lost their wealth or were killed," Pidge continued. Shiro nodded; this was very common knowledge that most of the older city inhabitants were educated with due to Alfor's influence on the city.

"All right, what does this have to do with our job?"

"I'm getting to that," Pidge said in a rushed tone. "With him, he brought a trunk-full of family heirlooms. More importantly, there were five brooches that were handmade nearly two centuries ago for the first five Altea kids. They are _literally_ priceless. They're passed down to the heirs of each generation in the Altea family."

Shiro could suspect where this was going. He stood up from his seat beside the window and began pacing as Pidge continued.

"Now this is where I had to do a bit more digging," Pidge told him. "A few years into Alfor and Zarkon's partnership at Voltron Inc., _and_ friendship, Alfor gifted one of these priceless family brooches to Zarkon. They were so close that Alfor considered Zarkon a brother."

"And so what you're telling me is that because there is bad blood between them now, Alfor wants his brooch back?" Shiro guessed. That all easily made sense to him, and Shiro could understand wanting to keep that secret to himself if he were in Alfor's shoes.

"Sort of, but not exactly," Pidge said. Shiro furrowed his brow. "See, Alfor has a daughter. Allura Altea, heiress to the Altea fortune and Voltron Inc. _Sole_ heiress."

Shiro closed his eyes as the revelation came to him and nodded, humming again as he finally understood. He could imagine the frustration Alfor's daughter felt over losing an inheritance right. Despite being filthy rich, the sentiment behind keeping five family heirlooms that significant within the immediate family for so long only to have one be handed off to someone who could've been considered a stranger must've been awful. Especially that it was given to Zarkon of all people, Shiro understood and even sympathized.

"So she's sent someone after to get it too?" Shiro asked. It was the only sensible thing he could think of her doing after Alfor had mentioned knowing one other person who would be after it. Pidge made a noise of uneasiness and he could hear her tapping on her keyboard suddenly. After the last key was hit, Shiro's phone buzzed against his ear and he pulled away to see what it was.

"I just sent you a video—it's like twenty seconds long. Watch it real quick and let me know what you think," Pidge said, almost sounding nervous.

Shiro agreed and pulled the phone away from his ear completely this time and clicked on the link. It brought him to a video straight from Pidge's archive, the thumbnail being a still image of what seemed to be Zarkon at a podium. He hit the play button to reveal a fragment of a speech Zarkon was giving until somebody stormed the stage. It was a woman with silvery hair who managed to get right into Zarkon's face, pointing a finger accusingly. Shiro could see cameras flashing in the background as the woman glared at Zarkon viciously, being pulled away by security. "It doesn't belong to you!" He heard her yell countless times. Shiro saw a brief glimpse of the brooch, attached to Zarkon's coat and right over his heart. The video ended with a still of her face looking past the cameras as she was being hauled off stage. Shiro sighed.

"Okay, what I think is this Allura Altea is going to steal the brooch herself at the gala," Shiro said.

"Yup, exactly what I was thinking too," Pidge agreed. Shiro shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was becoming more of a headache for him than it should have been.

"Alfor asked us to get it before she does so she doesn't make a complete fool out of herself," he thought aloud.

"Something like that," Pidge said. Shiro sighed again and began chewing the inside of his lip like he always did when he was thinking long and hard. He glanced at his wrist watch and took a deep breath.

"All right," Shiro finally said. "I'm gonna go grab the pizza and we'll figure out what to do when we meet up with Lance, Keith, and Hunk. I'll see you in a bit."

…

Shiro watched in silence as his team ate the pizza happily, his own slices left untouched. He wondered quietly to himself if taking this job was suddenly going to be worth it. He applauded Alfor for playing his cards well; had he not omitted the details regarding Zarkon, Shiro would have asked for more money. As much as Shiro stood up for doing what was right and returning important stolen artifacts to their rightful owners, there was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach knowing that he was bringing his team against a vile man like Zarkon. He had enough faith to believe that they could pull this job off, but there was still a part that did not sit well with him knowing that there was another player. They didn't know Allura Altea or what she was capable of; she had the potential to ruin the plan Shiro had in mind and he wondered uneasily what would become of them if Zarkon found out it was them stealing from him.

"So, what's the plan, boss?" Lance asked between bites of food. Shiro pushed the plate towards the middle of the table and away from him as he cleared his throat.

"Hunk and I are going to go into the gala while Keith will drive getaway, like how we usually do it," Shiro began. Keith and Hunk both nodded. Shiro shifted his gaze to Pidge and asked, "What's the building set up?"

"There are four tall buildings that surround the Black Paladin," Pidge said, swiveling her laptop around so that everybody could look at the map of downtown. The Black Paladin was highlighted in purple while the other four buildings were highlighted in the colors red, yellow, green, and blue. Pidge circled the blue building with her mouse; it faced the entrance of the Black Paladin the most out of all the buildings.

"This one is a hotel right across the street and has a good look at all four floors of the building," she paused to circle the red building that was to the east side of the Black Paladin, "and there is door on this side that leads straight into an alleyway. The alley goes right onto 5th avenue, so it'll be easier to get back to the warehouse."

"All right, Keith, you'll be parked right outside that door after you drop Hunk and I off at the front," Shiro commanded as Keith nodded again. "And Lance, I want you to rent a room pretty high up. You'll be our eyes and take out some guys from far away if we need it."

"Aye, aye, capitan," Lance responded in a singsong voice.

"Okay Pidge, take us through the layout of the Black Paladin."

Pidge tapped a key on her keyboard that instantly zoomed in towards the building highlighted in purple. It showed three floors above ground and one below, Shiro presuming that that was the basement. Pidge moved her mouse to circle the entirety of the top floor.

"I think Zarkon is gonna keep the brooch up on the top floor. The first floor is a ballroom where the gala is probably going to be held, and the second room is usually used as a makeshift art gallery. Besides having some small office spaces, the third floor is usually empty," Pidge explained.

"Wouldn't you think he'd wear the brooch?" Hunk asked, studying the layout of the Black Paladin. "I mean, it was a gift to him, wasn't it?"

"Well… yeah, I guess so. But Alfor said it would be heavily guarded, so I'm assuming it's not going to be on him," Pidge said, suddenly unsure.

"I guess we'll just find out where he's got it tomorrow," Shiro said, shrugging. He was growing more and more anxious with every new piece of information they gathered. It was unsettling how much they still didn't know about what to do, or were left unsure of how to do it. The wildcard that was Allura Altea loomed over him like a storm cloud with lightning eagerly waiting to strike him; he could hear the hate and rage in her voice again, wondering how she would pull off stealing something from Zarkon. And it was Zarkon's image that haunted Shiro the most, his thoughts wandering to darkened paths that lead to nowhere; what could Zarkon possibly be doing by unveiling a valuable brooch now? What was he planning?

"And what about Alfor's daughter?" Keith asked. "What are we going to do about her?"

"Isn't it funny we're just finding out about Alfor's daughter. Like for as long as I've been alive, I never even knew he had any kids," Lance interjected before Shiro could answer.

"He made sure to keep her out of the press a lot growing up," Pidge answered. "She kept a really low profile until she crashed Zarkon's speech. Alfor paid a lot of money to make sure that footage wouldn't make it to the news. I had to get by some crazy security to find that video. Nobody's forgotten about it though, despite how much money he paid to get it off the radar. People still talk about it, even if it is quietly."

"Well whatever Allura's bringing to the table, we won't worry about unless she makes it our problem. Our main objective is to find the brooch, get our hands on it, and leave as soon as possible without being noticed," Shiro said coolly. The four teens nodded.

…

Keith was cruising down the street with Hunk and Shiro in the backseat, a steady beat playing in the background. Shiro adjusted the cufflinks that were on his suit and glanced over at Hunk who was fiddling with his tie. The both of them dressed as nice as they could in old suits of black and navy, respectively.

"Okay, remember Hunk, we'll wait for Lance to figure out where the brooch could be and then we'll work our way to it," Shiro instructed. "Hopefully we can get past the guards and get out of there before anyone can be notified."

"Sounds good," Hunk chirped. Shiro took a deep breath and looked out at the window as Keith pulled up to the steps that lead to the entrance of the Black Paladin.

It was a dark-colored building, long and sleek. The windows were thin and many, running along the entire perimeter of the building. Golden lights illuminated the front door as well as the interior of the building, an array of different soft colored lights pulsating to a tune Shiro would hear soon. The finest people the city had to offer were dressed royally, filing into the mouth of the Black Paladin beside the people of the public.

Shiro climbed out of the car after Hunk, taking a look around their surroundings. Closing the door behind him, he slapped a hand to the top of the car and raised his eyebrows at Keith who nodded his head. With that, Keith zipped off and Shiro watched as he took a turn at the end of the street. Looking up to the tall hotel building just behind him, Shiro pressed a finger to the inside of his cuff and turned his head slightly to speak into his collar.

"Lance, you in position?"

"Yup," Lance said. "Eleventh floor. Window's open and gun's ready to fire at your command."

"Perfect. Just get a look at the top floor and try to figure out where this thing could be." Shiro casually shifted to pull the cuff of his shirt down. He lifted his prosthetic slightly and took one last look around before following Hunk in.

The interior of the Black Paladin was vibrant with life. The floor had a heartbeat in the form of the low music that played in the background with hundreds of voices that were mixed in. Much of the walls were swathed in golden cloth that hung from the high ceilings and a giant, crystal chandelier twinkled softly above them. There were portraits of the city's founders and influential people alike, hanging over small tables that looked like they were carved from oak. The smells of expensive perfumes and warm foods mingled together and Shiro could hear the soft _tinks_ of wine glasses.

"This place is packed," Hunk said, standing beside Shiro. He nodded and continued up the steps. Inside the ballroom were tables pushed aside to reveal a wooden dancefloor that was occupied by a handful of people. Dresses of red, white, and gold swirled to the music and pressed themselves against the black suit coats. It was a little stuffy.

"Let's split up and scope out possible ways to get upstairs if need be. If you see Zarkon or Allura, let me know," Shiro said, clapping a hand onto Hunk's shoulder. He nodded and headed off in the opposite direction as Shiro weaved his way through the crowds. His eyes scanned the waves of people carefully, making note of all the men dressed in suave, dark purple suits. Zarkon's men.

Shiro counted at least twenty of Zarkon's men standing around, hands folded in front of them and staring ahead with stony expressions. He reached a hand up to his neck and slipped a finger in his collar, tugging at it before pressing down on the button that was in the lining of his right cuff.

"What's it look like up there, Lance?" Shiro asked. There was a moment of static before he could hear Lance shifting and the sounds of howling wind.

"Lights are dim in the art gallery, but I can definitely see people looking at shit," Lance described. Shiro could hear the slight creak of the gun's scope twisting. "Now, on the third floor, though, all the lights are on and there have been some people coming in and out. But they look like they work there."

"Are they dressed in purple?" Shiro asked. Lance clicked his tongue.

"Nope. Dressed like waiters. They look like they're carrying table cloths."

Shiro suppressed a troubled sigh and craned his neck to see if he could spot Hunk. It seemed that more and more people began to flood the dancefloor, bodies melding together to the quiet yet spellbinding rhythm.

"Find anything, Hunk?" Shiro asked. He had paused at a wall, plucking a glass of champagne and sipped it sparingly.

"Zarkon. This dude's creepier in person. He has to be like 10,000 years old. I mean _seriously_ how is he still alive?" Hunk rambled. Shiro stifled a smile and pulled the glass to his lips, finger still against the button on his cuff.

"Is he wearing the brooch?" Shiro asked.

"He's wearing something, all right," Hunk said in a disgusted tone. "A tacky purple and grey suit. But the brooch? Don't see it."

Shiro calmed the panic that swelled in his chest, champagne glass still against his lips. His eyes darted and he tried to think of where else the damn brooch could be. If Lance had not seen it yet upstairs and Hunk had a clear visual of Zarkon, where could he be keeping it? Maybe it hadn't come in yet? What if Alfor's sources were wrong and the brooch was never meant to make it here? Why would Zarkon bring an item of such value to a gala like this anyways? The thoughts overflowed in Shiro's mind as he tried to figure out what they could do. He couldn't disappoint his team like this with a payout of two million sitting on the line.

It was a flash of silver that caught his attention and pulled him from his thoughts. His eyes fixated themselves onto the moonlight that manifested itself in the form of a high ponytail that sashayed with each step that was taken. He watched carefully and quietly as Allura Altea moved smoothly through the throngs of people, shoulders straightened and chin pointed upward slightly. She was beautiful, possibly the most beautiful woman in the entire room. Garbed in a deep blue satin gown that clung to her body, it just skimmed the floor as she continued to move. It fell off her shoulders and was adorned with crystals, making her a glimmering star in the light. It looked amazing against her dark skin. She also wore thick golden bands around her arms and even from this distance, Shiro could see the diamonds that sparkled around her neck and on her ears.

"Wowza," Shiro heard Lance hoot all of a sudden. "That is one pretty lady."

"Eyes on the prize, sharp shooter," Shiro said. Lance whistled.

"Already looking at her," he responded and Shiro knew he was ogling. Another mic came alive by the sound of static; Shiro had an idea of who it could be.

"Lance," Keith warned through gritted teeth. Shiro smiled, wondering if the two teens would ever confirm their relationship instead of dancing around it and playing it off as bitter rivalry.

He watched Allura move for another moment, until he noticed the string of purple that followed from a safe distance behind her. They pushed people aside as they made their way closer and closer to her, the shine of a blade making itself known briefly. Shiro set the glass down on a nearby table and made his way to Allura, who he couldn't tell if was aware she was being followed or not. He caught up to her before Zarkon's men did, making it seem a lot smoother than anticipated. Shiro noticed that they had stopped and watched him carefully as he gently grabbed her by the bend of her elbow.

"Miss Altea?" He said. She spun around and a lump caught in Shiro's throat; she was even more stunning up close. He could smell the floral perfume that drifted off her body and her rich blue eyes caught his attention. They were cold and on guard, though her face seemed welcoming.

"Yes? Do I know you?" She responded in a voice that ran like honey on a warm day, eyes narrowed as if she was trying to recall him. Her lips were painted a deep pink and it took all of Shiro's strength not to stare at them.

"No. But I'm sure you know them," Shiro said as he nodded toward the purple men that slowly retreated to the back of the room. Allura turned her head to look and when she faced him once more, a playful smile was caught on her lips. He let his gaze on them linger.

"Who are you?" She asked, moving a bit so that Shiro was no longer grasping her elbow. They stood facing each other and it was almost like everything around them was frozen in time. He noticed now that there were strands of her silver-spun hair that framed her face nicely. Her blue eyes pierced through him though he kept his cool, laying on a thick smile.

"My friends call me Shiro," he said. Allura chuckled and then smirked at him.

"Assuming we are friends now? How bold of you," she teased. He returned a smile alongside a raised eyebrow.

"Something like that," he paused to lean in a bit closer, lowering his head so that his lips were near her ear. "I think we're both after the same thing."

Allura pulled back and looked at him with pursed lips, head cocked to the side slightly. She reached for his prosthetic and he let her take it. She paused and looked down, though did not make a face like other people did, instead pulling on him slowly towards the dancefloor.

"Won't you dance with me, Shiro?" She asked, completely disregarding his previous statement. He didn't say anything as he followed her. As they reached the dancefloor, a slower beat began playing. She placed his prosthetic onto her hip and reached for his flesh hand, taking it cautiously. Her body was pressed dangerously close to his all of a sudden and Shiro stiffened, though he slowly relaxed himself once they started swaying to the music.

"Did my father send you?" She inquired, squeezing his hand. He looked down at her and smiled. Their bodies moved together in sync and Shiro was mindful not to squash her toes with every step they made to the beat.

"He might've," he said. She scoffed, though played it off as if she heard a bad joke. "Did I say something funny?"

Allura looked at him and then past him. "Very funny."

Shiro smiled at her, at ease knowing that Allura was someone he could be brash with and not some posh, spoiled brat. But he was reminded by the threat that was imposed on her by Zarkon's men and suddenly understood why Alfor wanted them to get the brooch before she did. They were meaning to kill her, knowing damn well that she would arrive at the mention of her treasured brooch. Shiro knew that Zarkon would get away with her death too, shoveling money to the law so they could shovel dirt over his foul deeds.

"I think you're in danger," Shiro whispered to her in a serious tone. Allura's face did not falter though as she continued to stare past him.

"Did you know," Allura said finally looking him in the eyes, "that in my home country, I was considered a princess? It was the politics that made our family royalty. My staff even calls me princess here."

"You should've stayed in your tower then, princess," Shiro said, half-jokingly though his eyes remained hard and somber. Allura smiled coyly, forcing a silent curse out of Shiro as he watched her lips curve upwards. He felt foolish for letting a beautiful girl like Allura unravel him, but he couldn't help himself. There was something special about her, he could tell by the twinkle in her eye and the spell that her lips put him under. Especially with her so close to him, the two of them moving together hypnotically, it was almost like there was a haze clouding his mind.

"He means to sell it," she said to him, seemingly unoffended by and disregarding his joke. "It is priceless to the Altea family, but he could easily get three hundred million for it."

"And what do you think he's going to do with that money?" Shiro asked. Allura's face darkened and she scowled.

"He plans on expanding his company so that it overshadows my father's. This is something I know for certain."

They continued to move to the song that seemed to never have an ending, and Shiro was suddenly surprised nobody had radioed in for him. He was sure Lance could see him and Hunk must have been around, wondering where he was. Shiro looked around as he kept his prosthetic carefully on Allura's hip, her hand placed on his shoulder. He spotted a man in purple, the two of them locking eyes before Zarkon appeared next to him. A finger was raised from across the room, pointing at them, and Shiro squeezed Allura's hand out of instinct.

"I really think you should leave and let me do my job, Miss Altea," Shiro said in a hushed tone. She looked up at him, pouting playfully.

"Tired of my company already?"

"No," Shiro responded all too quickly, sounding more defensive than he'd like. "You've made your presence known and I don't think that's safe. Your father's paying me to do something and I think he had the intent of keeping you safe as well by asking me."

"And how much is my father paying you?" Allura asked, looking at him carefully. Shiro swallowed hard, wondering if it was wise to divulge that to her. He wondered if doing any of this with Allura was wise.

"Two million," he replied quietly.

"Our brooch is worth much more and you settled for two million?" Allura asked with a curious lilt.

"I would've settled for five hundred dollars if I knew your dad was just trying to keep you safe," Shiro said. She smiled at that statement, a sincere smile that wasn't hiding anything or fiercely on guard.

"That is very noble of you, Shiro," Allura said, leaning upward so that her lips brushed past his cheeks and stopped at his ear. "But what if I told you I already have the brooch?"

Shiro nearly dropped her as she straightened herself out, a victorious smile drawn across her lips. He stared at her in shock, suddenly afraid that maybe Zarkon's men knew already and were waiting for the perfect moment to take her out. And him too, for that matter, since they were dancing together.

"What? How?" Shiro nearly shrieked. The song had ended and a new one began, a faster tempo filling the space around and in between them. Allura picked up the pace and he did so too, unaware of it. She seemed amused by that and his wonder.

"He is not as smart as people believe him to be," she began, referring to Zarkon. Her voice was quiet but sharp, her eyes glimmering with mischief.

"The brooch has always been here. He owns this building and many of the pieces of art that sit above us. He kept my family's brooch in a wooden box downstairs, in the basement. After the speech debacle, he learned quickly not to wear it in public."

Shiro's eye flickered from watching her mouth as she spoke to her eyes that looked at him. He could tell that her eyes were looking at his lips too, and he wasn't sure if he could count that as a blessing. He pondered how they didn't figure out that this was Zarkon's building but attributed it to that being the knowledge of the wealthy. Maybe it was something that Pidge missed, or that he just didn't press hard enough for finer details.

"How did you know it was here?" Shiro asked, returning to their conversation with two million questions running through his head. Allura laughed and drummed her fingers along his shoulder.

"Would you believe me if I said I didn't?" She said with an entertained grin. "It was a lucky guess that brought me here almost two weeks ago. A man at the front door said that Zarkon was going to auction his prized collection of fine art and I figured he would auction the brooch too. I did some snooping upstairs but there was nothing, until I snuck past a guard to get downstairs.

"He's got many things downstairs that you wouldn't believe. Guns, drugs, all sorts of things a businessman shouldn't have," Allura continued. "And I found it, though it took me a good half hour to rattle every damn box down there."

"And so you took it?" Shiro asked, wondering how she didn't get caught. She nodded, lifting the hand from his shoulder to grasp her ponytail. She ran her fingers through it, letting her long locks of hair fall around her shoulder. She pressed herself closer to him, her closed fist in between them. Uncurling her fingers slowly, cautiously, she revealed to him the brooch that was attached to a hair binder.

The priceless brooch was no bigger than a set of car keys, just barely fitting in the palm of her hand. It was made of two pieces of white gold curved in slight J shapes, the hooked parts facing each other and connected in the middle by another band of white gold. It was embellished with diamonds of all sorts of sizes, white and black. Even in the soft light, it gleamed fiercely.

"I took it yes, and I've had it ever since. I left a rock I found in the basement in its place so whatever fool rattles the box next will think they still have my brooch," Allura said, beaming proudly.

"Does your father know?" Shiro asked though he suspected he didn't. If Alfor knew his daughter already had the brooch, why ask Shiro to go out of his way to get it?

"He doesn't," she said, confirming his suspicion.

"Then why did you show up here if you already had it?" Shiro asked, trying not to sound annoyed.

"So I can get my last laugh in at Zarkon. He knows that once he opens that box and I am long gone that I was the one who stole it. But he can't prove that I did. He can accuse me, but there will be no proof unless he wants to confirm the media's accusations of him being a mob boss by bringing them downstairs to his basement."

Shiro nodded and took a deep breath, understanding that this was a moment of triumph for the Altea heiress. He wondered how he was going to break this one to the team.

Allura looked at him apologetically all of a sudden. "I do apologize. You came out of your way to find something that isn't here. Good thing you ran into me, isn't it?"

Shiro scoffed. He looked off at the crowds that continued to dance, unaware of what was really going on here. "Yeah. I'm pretty lucky."

"You could be even more lucky," Allura whispered to him. A blush crept up his neck and threatened to spill onto his cheeks as he tried not to be tempted. He tried to keep his mind on the objective at hand, instead of his hand on her hip.

"I have a different proposition," he suggested as she raised an eyebrow. "You give me the brooch and I can deliver it to your father like I said I would."

"So it's only my money you're after?" Allura teased as he tried to stifle his smile.

"Well, I have to pay my bills and team members somehow, Miss Altea."

"Allura," she said slowly. "You can call me Allura."

"All right Allura, how about that brooch? I'll even drive you home," he offered again.

"To mine?" She asked, dropping her hand from his and pressed it against his chest. "Or yours?"

Shiro's hand hung in the air for a moment before falling to her other hip; she seemed pleased with that.

"So it's only my body you're after?" He teased back and Allura laughed. Her fingers curled under the fold of his coat suit and she turned her head upward to look at him.

"You interest me, Shiro," she told him quietly. And he thought the same of her, though he didn't say it. He hadn't even noticed that they were the only two bodies that weren't moving anymore. With his flesh hand, he reached up and cupped it over hers, the one that held the brooch tightly.

"Just let me take this. You will get it back, I promise."

She didn't say anything as she slowly loosened her grip on the brooch so that it moved into Shiro's hand. He took it while they stared into each other's eyes, nothing yet everything being spoken at once. Allura bit her lip for a brief moment as she leaned up towards him, intending to close the space between them. He met her halfway and they shared a kiss under the false moonlight of the ballroom. Her mouth was warm and her lips were sweet, soft and welcoming against his. And he wondered what it was like to truly know her; in the morning, late at night, and every other time in between.

Allura broke off their kiss, a faint pink dusting her cheeks as she gave him one last smile. She pressed a hand to his flesh one that held the brooch, giving him a hard but trusting look. Her fingers lingered on his hand as she stepped away from him towards the door. He watched her to make sure that nobody followed, and surprisingly they didn't, Zarkon and his men unaware of what just transpired under their noses. Her hair bounced with every step she took and was a flicker that rounded the corner until she was gone.

He stood there, the only lone body that lacked motion on the dancefloor and slipped the brooch safely into his pocket. He hoped that nobody saw anything else but their kiss and he hoped that wasn't the last kiss they would have. As foolish as it was, Shiro hoped.

"Well, _damn_ Shiro!" Lance's loud voice boomed in Shiro's ear piece, startling him. His face was suddenly hot with embarrassment and he frantically pressed down on his cuff.

"Shit, Lance, were you watching the entire time?" Shiro asked as he headed towards the door. He saw Hunk standing there with a huge grin on his face and he knew then that all of them knew.

"I definitely did, yes, and I really wish I could take good pictures from up here. You should be thanking me. I texted everyone and made sure they wouldn't ruin your moment," Lance said and even then Shiro could see him with his chest puffed out. Shiro tried not to groan, realizing then that that was why nobody had asked for him. Everything suddenly made perfect sense and he almost wish it hadn't.

"Let's just get out of here and find a box for this thing," Shiro said as he and Hunk exited the Black Paladin.

"Sounds like a plan, lady killer," Lance said, the sound of his equipment being packed up in the background.

Shiro rolled his eyes, though he was becoming more amused by the teasing. And he wondered again if he would ever see her again.

…

It was three months later that Shiro found himself dreaming about the sound of his ringtone. Or at least he thought he was dreaming until he reached over and grabbed the cellphone off the nightstand. It vibrated violently against his touch.

Without looking at who was calling, he answered it groggily.

"We've got a job," Pidge said. "Wait, were you sleeping?"

Shiro nodded until he remembered he was on the phone and then grunted, sitting up in his bed.

"It's like two, Shiro," Pidge said, almost laughing.

"Uh huh," Shiro said as he rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand. "So what's this job?"

"How about you just come to the warehouse and we'll talk about it together?" Pidge suggested.

Suddenly, a hand was pressed to Shiro's back and he looked over his shoulder as Allura stirred from her sleep as well. She pushed her silver mane out of her face and snuggled up against him, arms wrapped around his waist. He smiled at her and she returned it.

The memories from the past three months flooded his mind; images of the team celebrating the two million they were awarded, bursts of silver that came in the form of Allura putting a foot in the door of his life. It turned out that that was not the last time he would ever see this princess from another world, but only the beginning of something entirely new and fulfilling for Shiro. Even in this short time, there were many sleepless nights spent sharing secrets and stealing kisses. He learned of the death of her mother at a young age and her favorite color, how the brooches have been locked up and that she plans to wear them all only on the day of her wedding. He told her of his first kill, – an old man preying on a fifteen-year-old neighbor almost seven years ago – how sometimes he still got night terrors because of the accident that cost him an arm, his mother's name; his _own_ name, the one he still kept a secret from his teammates but spilled to her one night out of vulnerability. The type of vulnerability he hadn't felt in such a long time.

They talked about Zarkon; Allura's hate for him, the way he had ruined so many lives and continues to wreck the city and having no regard for it. They conjured up different ways to get rid of him, some of them becoming inside jokes and others becoming vows. Shiro learned of Allura's advocacy overseas in her home country, trying to quell the fires that still ravaged her friends and family even years after the civil war. He learned that she wasn't just some privileged daughter of a man with too much wealth for his own good, but a diplomat. Though the Altea's had no political leverage here, they still considered her father a king back home. They still saw her as a princess. And she learned that he didn't kill meaninglessly, that it wasn't just anybody he was asked to kill. He told her it was to help those that needed it the most, the people who could no longer stand up to their bullies. She learned there were some times that he didn't even take money, but rather a home cooked meal for him and his ragtag team of teens. He showed her that he wasn't the mindless killer he sold himself to be.

And Shiro thought he was just losing it, those walls he put up in an attempt to keep himself and others safe but there was one that had yet to be knocked down. He didn't even know it needed to be knocked down until Allura came along.

"Yeah that's sounds good."


	3. One Love

AN: I've realized the past two have been written from the perspective of Shiro and his affection for Allura but I obviously don't think it's one way. So here's one from Allura's, after Shiro disappears. Also, the song is definitely about someone's lover leaving them and the narrator wanting them to stay, but there were some parts that I thought totally applied to Shallura. This is something like a sister one-shot to the first one, Powerless. Anyways, enjoy.

" _One Love" by Marianas Trench_

…

Coran says that she looks pale and that she should eat more, that he knows it's hard but they were doing everything that they could to find him. And she knew that; she believed them. But it was still _hard_.

She couldn't look in the mirror some days, afraid of what she'd see. She was afraid of the tired and sad blue eyes that would stare back at her, the ones she used to remind herself of her father's strength. Now, they were full of tears and darkened by sleepless nights. The nights she could sleep, albeit a mere hour or two, she dreamed of him and how he came back to them. Back to her. Sometimes she thought she could hear him, especially when she wandered to the Black Lion's hangar. His voice sounded especially loud and clear inside the lion, though she couldn't understand what he was saying. She thought she was going insane, but at that point, she couldn't care if she was or wasn't.

Allura wandered the halls in feeble attempts to clear her mind the nights she was especially restless, haunted by the explosion of Zarkon's armor and the disappearance of her Black Paladin. She hoped that if she walked the castle enough maybe she would run into him like she usually did. Maybe they could sit down and stare at the stars again and she could muster the courage to tell him what she really thought. How she really felt about him.

She remembered a night when they could afford to sit around and talk to one another. This was early in their friendships and before she knew as much as she did about her beloved paladins. This was before she developed feelings for him. She recalled Lance asking if Shiro could remember a time where he didn't have his Galra arm, if he had ever experienced phantom limb.

"What is that?" Allura had asked, curious and leaning forward.

"It's when an amputee – somebody who's lost a limb – can still feel like their limb is there," Pidge answered. Allura had pursed her lips, perplexed with this knowledge.

"There is no way to reattach the limb?" She asked. With the cryopods, the Alteans had the ability to reattach limbs right away if treated quickly. She never knew anybody with a missing limb because they had always worked swiftly to treat it. That had been an interesting thought for Allura, unsure of what it would be like to be missing a limb.

Shiro had laughed, amused and unaffected by their talk of his missing arm after it was the topic of conversation for quite a while. He flexed his Galra arm and looked at her. She could remember the twinkle in his eyes as he smiled and she knew that that was the beginning.

"No, it can't be reattached unfortunately. I don't even know where my actual arm is," Shiro said half-jokingly although they all knew it was true. "I think there was a time I had phantom pain but I honestly can't remember."

Allura didn't know what it was like to feel phantom pain nor could she comprehend how it could happen at that moment in time, but she understood now. She understood completely now that Shiro was missing and there was no amount of time that could be spent in a cryopod to bring him back.

Throughout her life, the one she had before she became devoted to defeating Zarkon, Allura knew love once. Or at least she thought she did. She was a princess and one day she would be queen. She was meant to take a husband to help rule over her kingdom. There were many proposals and betrothal offers, but none of them were accepted. Her father was adamant in making sure that Allura liked her suitor instead of betrothing her to somebody formidable by royal standards.

There were a few men she could remember meeting who she found interest in. There was the Prince of Prisnov in particular, whose name she could hardly recall now, though she could see his bright red eyes clearly in her mind. He always smelled sweet and smiled at her kindly, taking her hand and kissing it every time they met. Allura remembered feeling a warm swell in her chest and would have married him if the war had not begun. She thought she knew what love was then with this Prisnovian prince, but those feelings did not compare to what she felt for Shiro.

She thought then that what if every being in the known universe was destined to one love? She remembered her mother and father, the way they looked at each other lovingly. The way her father looked the day she died and the way the light in his eyes were never the same. She remembered going to many weddings when she was younger, the vows of each person involved – "I will love you until the ends of time and take nobody else if you are to leave me first."

What if they were all destined to one, true love? And she thought suddenly then, that she couldn't waste her time mourning. He was not dead, just _gone_.

He couldn't have been dead – there was a hollow feeling, yes, with not seeing him but it did not match the hollowness her mother left when she died. Allura knew it deep down that he was not dead; he had to be somewhere and they could find him. They had to be able to. Maybe he knew it too, wherever he was; maybe he knew that they were able to find him and she had spent all of this time doing nothing when she could have been doing _something_.

There was the sliver of hope that sat idly in Allura's heart reminding her gently that this was not the end, and she finally listened to it. It was all she needed alongside the feeling in the pit of her stomach (the part Lance referred to as his "gut") that he was not lost forever, just lost for now.

It was a slow process in the beginning, but she was able to sleep for more than a handful of hours. Allura regained her courage and leadership, day by day, working towards finding the Black Paladin. _Her_ Black Paladin. It didn't stop hurting, not being able to see him every day and the frustration of not being able to find him right away, but it became manageable.

She vowed to herself then, that despite their circumstances with rebuilding the universe, she would tell him that she loved him. Not the familial type of love that she had grown to associating with the other paladins. A one, true love kind of love.

There was the hope that maybe he saw her as his one true love too.


End file.
